Cover photo by Lorenzo Hamers on Unsplash
Today’s Focus of Attention is reader-supported. We sometimes include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission.
A couple of months ago, I started walking to free my mind from the yoke of remote working. It was only a 5-minute walk at first, but then I increased to 20-30 minutes daily since I was more energised, my brain was producing more ideas, I was sleeping better, and my body had more resistance.
After 60 days, I realised I had lost a few kilos, so I intensified my walking routine to twice a day for half an hour each time.
Because I’d got amazing results, I decided to scale up. For that, I started watching videos on YouTube related to weight loss, healthy diets, testosterone levels, and the like.
I came across a few videos that met my expectations, with easy-to-follow steps and, most importantly, not affecting my job, as they don’t require too much time.
I will share with you six YouTube videos I’m following, as well as their advice on weight loss, focused diets, and testosterone production.
Video 1
How to lose weight fast for men over 40
In this video from “Fit Father Project,” the host, Dr Anthony Balduzzi, gives six techniques for rapid weight loss.
#1 – Get more sleep
Sleep is essential for weight and fat loss. If we’re on a diet and exercising regularly but not sleeping enough, the lost weight will come from our muscles, not fat.
Our metabolism decreases when we lose muscle, making it easier to gain weight.
Balduzzi recommends at least seven hours of quality rest, because if we get fewer hours, our brain circuits go off the rails, turning us into hungrier creatures.
#2 – 4×4 Meal Timing
The next piece of advice is a nutrition plan. When it comes to losing weight, a balanced diet is more important than working out. Weight loss starts in the kitchen.
The 4×4 meat plan consists of eating every 4 hours so we can feel satisfied, energetic, and able to control our calories.
For instance, breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12, a snack around 4pm, and dinner at about 8pm.
What to eat?
Half of our plates should be filled with veggies: salad, broccoli, spinach, anything green.
A quarter with protein like chicken, turkey, fish, or steak, and the remaining 25% with healthy carbs such as sweet potato, or pasta. Whatever you prefer.
#3 – Drink more water
Drinking water is great for losing weight. Water keeps us energised, it also tells our brain that we are full and don’t need food cravings, which helps us stick to a healthy diet.
We must create a hydration habit. For instance, get a big bottle, fill it in the morning, squeeze some lemon, and carry it the whole day.
#4 – 30 minutes of daily activity.
To see loss weight results, we want a good sleep, a proper meal plan, stay hydrated, and of course, a regular physical exercise. By the way, it’s unnecessary to spend hours at the gym.
In this video, the recommendation is to walk after lunch. The key aspect is moving for half an hour a day. Set aside some time, whether it be in the morning or afternoon. The purpose is to have our bodies move.
If we want to speed up the process, we can do cardio or weight lifting.
#5 – Metabolic Resistance Training – 3-4 workouts a week
This differs from the daily activity. This is the formal workout, divided into two activities: Strength training is to build muscle and boost metabolism, while cardio is to burn calories.
Some exercises recommended are squats, shoulder presses, rows, push-ups, and deadlifts.
For instance, we can work out Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. By spacing them out, we get a metabolic boost.
#6 – Smart Supplementation
The sixth tip is to drink black coffee since it helps lose weight, raises the metabolic rate, curbs our hunger, and increases our energy level.
Of course, our coffee should not have any cream, sugar, or milk.
Another beverage shown in this video is green tea, which is a great supplement for fat burning.
Smart supplementation also involves taking a high-quality multivitamin with fish oil and vitamin D.
Video 2
5 Health myths for men over 40
This is an additional video from the “Fit Father Project.” In this episode, the host claims to debunk five common myths related to losing weight and being healthy.
Myth #1 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
We have been told that an early breakfast is paramount. “Get up and have a high-carb breakfast with cereal and fruit juices, oatmeal, and all these things.”
Our bodies’ peak fat-burning hormones rise in the morning, but if we eat a heavy meal, that action reduces those hormones drastically.
What to do?
Change our first bite time to 10:30am and have a low-carb meal, meaning good proteins, healthy carbs like eggs, and also veggies.
By doing this, we can keep our energy levels high, our blood sugar concentration stable, and fat-burning hormones skyrocketing.
Myth #2 Cardio is the best way to lose belly fat
Walking and jogging burn calories, but we can’t shed more if we don’t fix our diet first.
Diet and exercise are the rock-star team.
The video explains that instead of low-power cardio, we should have high-intensity workouts since they boost the metabolism.
Myth #3 Weight lifting is just for young people
Powerlifting can be more beneficial for men once they hit 35, 45, or 55. Why?
Because after 35, the levels of testosterone decrease, so if we don’t start training on a regular basis, we might lose muscle, leading to low libido and energy, weight gain, and a lack of confidence.
With that in mind, we must do squats, push-ups, pull-ups and rows, tricep and shoulder presses.
Myth #4 Organic = Healthy
Organic food is great, but not all the products that claim to be in that category are good for our bodies.
Many brands offer organic sugar, ice cream, snacks, or cookies. Organic pastries will still make you fat.
So, let’s not fall for marketing tricks and assume that organic always equates to healthy.
Myth # 5 Age increase = Health Decrease
The older we get, the sicker we become. Not necessarily true. That’s an old saying.
Plenty of men in their 50s, 60s, and 70s keep a lean and athletic body while being strong and lively.
Video 3
Weight loss for men over 40
This video from “Live Anabolic” shares 3 tips to help us lose weight fast, especially if we are in our forties.
#1. Optimise hormones
People normally go for calorie reduction and walk five miles a day, but first they should focus on optimising hormones.
Growing older equals less testosterone, meaning extra oestrogen and cortisol.
To balance our hormones, we should avoid all sugars and processed food, since they are laden with chemicals, toxins, and elevate oestrogen levels. More oestrogen = less testosterone.
Sleep also helps increase the masculine hormone. So, let’s aim for 7 to 9 hours.
And the final point is to do strength training exercises 2-4 times a week.
#2. Intermitting fasting + Carb cycling
If the goal is to lose weight, we should combine both.
- Intermittent Fasting
It means no snacks at night, our last meal at 8pm, skipping our breakfast, and our first food at noon.
This 16-hour fast every day will optimise our hormones, lift our spirits, stabilise blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and make us slim down.
The rest of our meals should be distributed in the remaining 8 hours of the day.
- Carb Cycling
It only applies when we’re doing resistance training because our body requires more energy during a hard workout for replenishment, refuelling, and rebuilding.
For instance, if we are going to lift weights twice a week, then we can have complex carbohydrates on those two days.
What to eat every day?
Protein such as chicken, fish, turkey, grass-fed beef, or eggs. They must be combined with veggies, including cauliflower, broccoli, or green beans.
Egg yolks, olive oil, nuts, and grass-fed beef are also important as they contain essential fats.
When we are exercising hard, our complex carbohydrates could be rice, potatoes, quinoa, beans, and oatmeal.
Fruits are likewise okay if we are training. Bananas, pineapples, and even strawberries are good for us.
#3. Do not compare yourself to others
We don’t know what those people on Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook are doing to look the way they do. So, we should not use others as our measuring stick. Some of them have been working out for years.
We must focus only on what we are doing. That’s all.
Consistency
We didn’t get overweight all at once, so we won’t lose weight overnight; thus, consistency is key.
As this is a journey, we should take notes on what we are doing, the food we are consuming, and even our thoughts.
Documenting everything will be beneficial. How?
If we are pushing 20 kilogrammes in the beginning and we are still pushing the same weight after two months, well, we should add more pressure to give our body a reason to grow.
A log also helps us know if we are losing weight or not.
Video 4
The ultimate testosterone diet for men over 40
This video, also from Live Anabolic, explains the function of testosterone and how to structure a testosterone-focused diet.
Why is testosterone important?
Testosterone is the hormone that makes a man a man – an androgenic hormone. It started when we were young, put hair on our chests and our faces, and changed our voices.
At the same time, this bio-regulator is in charge of our sex drive, muscle growth, our mood, and well-being.
The lack of testosterone can affect our daily lives, and might send us to the depths of depression.
Here’s the diet shown in the video:
Macronutrients
Many diets cut macronutrients, but it’s counterproductive for men over 40.
We need carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to produce testosterone.
40/40/20
On our plates, 40% of the calories should come from carbohydrates, 40% from fats, and 20% from protein. All of them, of course, of good sources.
Carb Choices
Regarding carbs, we can eat potatoes, berries, rice, or quinoa, and they must be gluten-free. Gluten affects testosterone.
Fats
Grass-fed beef, whole eggs, avocados, olive or coconut oil.
Protein
Chicken, turkey, or fish such as tilapia, tuna, or salmon.
Video 5
Full day of eating – Nutrition for men over 40
In this video, Funk Roberts gives us some advice about what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to increase our testosterone levels, raise our metabolism, and burn fat.
Breakfast
Steel-cut oats (cooked in water)
Powder protein (a product he recommends, but we can substitute it with something else)
Cashews (good at producing testosterone)
Fruit (bananas or apple berries because of the antioxidants)
Lunch
Starchy carbs (sweet potatoes)
Protein (grilled chicken)
Healthy fat (avocado)
Salads (50% of the plate with spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes)
Dinner
Starchy carb (white rice)
Protein (pork chops)
Healthy fat (avocado and olive oil)
Vegetables (yellow beans and spinach)
Video 6
The only 3 exercises you need (men over 40)
MuscleMonsters shows three physical routines for men over 40. I won’t give details here because it’s best to watch the video.
1. Low-incline bench press
2. Pendlay row
3. Barbell back squat
Well, these are the YouTube channels I’m following to reach my physical goals, but of course there are thousands more on the platform to choose from.
These videos don’t share the same views but have some commonalities.
By the way, this article is not sponsored by any of them.
I hope you find this information useful. Please leave your comments.